Sealing device and method of sealing



April 11, 1939. A, PODEL 2,154,409

SEALING DEVICE AND METHOD OF SEALING Filed Feb. 1'7, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Aha/ram P0116! BY April 11, 1939. A. PODEL 2,154,409

SEALING DEVICE AND METHOD OF SEALING Filed Feb. 17, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 HIP A EN In 1 n INVENTOR M ATTORNEY April 11, 1939; PQDEL 2,154,409

SEALING DEVICE AND METHOD OF SEALING Filed Feb. 17, 1938 3 Sheefs-Sheet 3 .57 29 m 4 lll ll i gg mu\," i

INVENTOR A; iORNEY Patented Apr. 11, 1939 PATENT OFFICE SEALING DEVICE AND IIETHOD OF SEALING Abraham Podel, New York, N. Y., assignor to Anchor Cap & Closure Corporation, Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 1'1, 1938, Serial No. 190,982

16 Claims.

The present invention relates to the sealing art and more particularly to a device and method for sealing closure caps to containers.

A very popular sealed package adapted for products which require an air-tight or vacuum seal, comprises a glass container and a closure cap having a bead containing a gasket compressed against the side wall of the container by constricting the bead. To facilitate removal of the cap, the container is provided with a shoulder or pry-01f ledge spaced slightly below the skirt of the cap so that a knife or other suitable tool may be inserted between the bottom edge of the skirt and the shoulder. The knife, when tilted or raised, is adapted to pry the cap from the container. Since the ledge is formed of glass having a hard smooth surface, the knife is likely to slip unless the space between the bottom edge of'the cap and the upper surface of the ledge is relatively small. The difilculty of removal increases as the width of the space increases'beyond the thickness of the knife blade. It is, therefore, desirable to have the bottom of the cap as close to the ledge as possible.

Closure caps of the above type are usually sealed by an anvil member which engages the top of the cap and by segmental jaws which extend inwardly beneath the bead and which are adapted to press or force the head against the anvil to compress the gasket. Heretofore, considerable difficulty has been encountered in sealing caps to containers having a pry-oil ledge, because the jaws could not be properly inserted in a relatively small space between the ledge and the bottom of the cap without having the width of the space excessive. .In some cases, the jaws engaged the cap improperly and crushed the cap or did not cooperate with the anvil to form a good seal. In other cases, the jaws engaged the ledge on the container resulting in breakage of the container as well as the loss of the contents thereof.

The present invention aims to overcome the I above diillculties by providingan improved method and apparatus particularly adapted for sealing caps of the above type to containers having a pry-oil. ledge, and is also adapted to apply closures to other types of containers. The present invention also aims to provide an improved sealing device which will permit the space between the pry-01f ledge on the container andthe bottom of the cap to be reduced to a minimum without impairing the security of the seal.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved device for sealing closure caps to containers.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved sealing head adaptedto seal caps to containers having pry-off ledges. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible chuck having jaws adapted to be inserted between the gasket retaining bead on the cap and a pry-off ledge on the container.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sealing chuck ha'ving jaws adapted to be moved inwardly beneath the bottom edge of a closure cap without relative vertical movement between the jaws and the cap.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved sealing chuck having cushioning means adapted to prevent the chuck and containers from being subjected to sudden shocks while the caps are being sealed. V

Another object of the invention is to provide a sealing head which is simple and inexpensive and which can be readily attached to existing sealing machines.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which may be removed and applied to a sealing machine as a single unit to simplify the changing of devices for diiferent sizes of caps.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method of sealing closure caps.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved method of sealing caps having a bead in the skirt thereof to containers having a pry-off ledge.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, wherein Fig. l is a front elevational view, partly in section, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating the container raised and the cap engaged by the sealing anvil prior to the operation of the sealing jaws:

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view illustrating the cap, container, jaws, and anvil moving upwardly as a unit while the jaws are moved inwardly under the cap;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the jaws after they have moved upwardly with respect to the anvil at the completion of the sealing operation;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the chuck removed from the sealing head;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modification of the invention; and

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating another modification of the invention.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. 1, there is shown a sealing head i, and a table or platform 2 adapted to be raised to present a container A, having a cap B loosely seated thereon, to the sealing head.

The platform or table may be raised and lowered by a rod 3 operatively connected to a cam t by a spring 5, a sleeve 6 and a cam roller 1. The sealing head may be operated by links 8 extending upwardly therefrom and operatlvely connected by a bell crank 9 to a suitable device of a sealing machine (not shown) for-effecting upward and downward movement thereof through the intermediation of a strong spring. The devices for operating the table and sealing head may be similar to those shown in my previous Patent No. 1,841,051 although any suitable source of power such as devices of other types of sealing machines may be utilized.

The sealing head is more particularly an improvement upon the sealing head shown in my Patent No. 1,841,051, and is particularly adapted to constrict a bead C in the skirt of the cap to compress a gasket G and seat it against the side wall of a container having a pry-ofl ledge L spaced a relatively short distance below the bead. The sealing head is also adapted to seal caps to other types of containers with equal efiectiveness.

The sealing head preferably comprises a casing l0 having a stem ll adapted to be secured to the base or frame of the machine by a bolt l2 (Fig. 1) a unitary sealing chuck (Fig. 5), and a pair of rods l3 connected by the links 8 to the sealing head operating mechanism. The chuck comprises a mounting ring it connected to the rods l3 by a holding or supporting ring 15, a series of segmental jaws I6 on the mounting ring H for reforming the bead C of the cap, and an anvil member I! for engaging the top of, the cap to hold it in position.

Preferably, the anvil has a downwardly depending annular flange or rib R adapted to cooperate with the jaws it, about to be described, to reform the head. The anvil may have a weighted or spring mounted plunger 3 adapted to hold the caps on the containers prior to engagement thereof by the anvil.

The jaw members l6 are pivotally mounted on the mounting ring l4 and are held outwardly in expanded position by a series of springs I9 when the jaws are in their lower position (Figs. 1 and 2). Each jaw member has an inwardly projecting portion 20 adapted to extend beneath the bead of the cap (Fig. 3) and has a cam surface 2i adapted to engage a jaw closing ring 22 on the casing III to force the jaws inwardly when the jaws are moved upwardly with respect to the casing.

In order to effectively project portions 2!) of the jaws between the bead C of the cap and the shoulder or ledge L (Fig. 3), the anvil is mounted for upward movement with the jaws so that the space between the pry-off ledge and the bead is substantially in horizontal alignment with the portions 20 of the jaws during their upward and inward movement. This is accomplished by attaching a collar or sleeve 24 to the mounting ring l4 having a bore or aperture 25 for receiving the stem 26 of the anvil and by threading the upper end H of the anvil stem to a sleeve 28 slibably mounted in a bore 29 of the sleeve or collar 24. The sleeve 28 and collar 24 are resiliently held against relative vertical movement during the initial upward movement of the chuck holder by a spring 30 extending about the sleeve 28 and engaged by the end SI of the collar and by a ledge or flange 32 on the sleeve to prevent corresponding relative vertical movement of the chuck and anvil. The sleeve 28 and collar 2% are also held against relative rotary movement by a pin 50 fitting into a slot 5! in the sleeve 28 (Fig. 1).

After the anvil and jaws have moved upwardly h as a unit and the portions 20 of the jaws have moved inwardly to extend between the bead or bottom of the cap, it is desirable to move the jaws upwardly with respect to the anvil to constrict the bead, To do this, the upward movement of the anvil is stopped by a stationary downwardly facing shoulder 34 in the casing H! which engages the upper end 32 of the sleeve 28 (Fig. 4) while the operating rods l3 continue to move the rings M and I5 upwardly, thus causing the collar 2d to slide or move upwardly with respect to the anvil in opposition to the spring 30. The anvil rib R and jaw portions 20 then cooperate to constrict the bead C. I

The maximum distance the jaws of the chuc can move with respect to the anvil depends on the space S between the lower end 35 of the sleeve 28 and the shoulder 36 on the collar 24. The greater the space, the greater the permissive relative vertical movement between the anvil and the jaws. This space may be increased or decreased and the tightness of the seal increased or decreased by rotation of the anvil by means of a suitable wrench fitting into the recesses 23. Rotation of the anvil to the left increases the combined length of the anvil IT and sleeves 24 and 28 in their normal and also in their compressed or sealing position. In addition, such rotation decreases the gap between the upper.

end 32 of the sleeve 28 and the shoulder 34 so that relative vertical movement between the jaws and anvil commences sooner and is of a greater magnitude. whereby the bead is compressed a greater amount to form a tighter seal. The gap between the flange R on the anvil and the inwardly projecting portions 20 on the jaws, remains constant and is sufficient to accommodate the bead of the cap in all instances, so that the jaw portions 20 will fit under the bead. To prevent an unskilled operator from adjusting the anvil and jaws to form a seal which would be too tight and might break the container, a washer 31 is held in position by lock nuts at the upper end of the anvil stem. The washer is adapted to engage the upper end 32 of the sleeve 28 to limit the distance the anvil can be screwed toward the left to decrease the distance between the upper end 32 of the sleeve 28 and the shoulder 34. Rotation of the anvil to the right has the opposite effect and decreases the tightness of the seal. In order to retain the anvil in adjusted position, a pin 41 extends through the sleeve 24 and is resiliently held in a groove or keyway of a series of grooves on the anvil stem by a leaf spring 49 (Figs. 1 and 3). The

pin gives an audible indication of the amount of adjustment which is determined by the number of clicks heard during the rotation of the anvil.

The relative adjustment between the jaws and anvil is also useful for sealing closures having different sizes of beads and also for securing a very accurate clearance between the pry-off shoulder L on the container and the lower sides 33 of the jaws, thereby further reducing the amount of space betweenthe pry-oil! ledge and the closure required for sealing the cap to the container. I

A distinct advantage of the sealing device is that the jaws l5, anvil l1 and their associated parts may be assembled as a unit and shipped as a unit. The gap between the rib R of the anvil and the jaw portions 20 is determined at the factory and once the parts are assembled this gap cannot be changed or tampered with. Since the dimensions of the bead C of the cap and the container are maintained within prescribed tolerances, the cap will accommodate the bead and the portions 20 will extend beneath the bead without any adjustments on the part of the packer. This permits the space between the ledge and bead to be reduced to a minimum with assurance to the cap manufacturer that the relation of the jaws and anvil cannot be changed to form imperfect seals. Preferably, the sleeves 24 and 28 are adjusted at the factory to provide a seal of average tightness and can be easily readjusted by the packer to form a seal of desired tightness.

The assembled unit is illustrated moreparticularly in Fig. 5 The sealing unit may be removed and replaced in the sealing machine without material loss oftime. To remove the unit the locking bolt 39, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, is removed, the unit is then rotated to release the bayonet connection between the portions 43 on the supporting ring l5 of the sealing unit, and the portions 44 on the mounting ring l4 (Figs. 1 and 5). To install a sealing unit in the machine, the unit is inserted and rotated until the threaded aperture 55 (Fig. 5) is in proper alignment with the corresponding aperture which receives the locking bolt 39. The alignment of the apertures and the reception of the locking bolt assure the interlocking of the parts 43 and to form the bayonet connection. Since a different chuck is used for each size of closure sealed, the ease of application and removal afforded by the unitary structure is an important feature.

In Fig. 6 a modification of the present invention is shown, wherein the upper end of the sleeve 28 is provided with a resilient member 4i adapted to contact the downwardly facing shoulder 34. This member may be in the form of an annular rubber gasket preferably sealed in a groove in the end of the sleeve 28. The resilient member minimizes noise and shocks when the flange and shoulder come in contact with each other, which in turn minimizes the suddenness in stopping the upward movement of anvil, jar, jar closure and the supporting table. Thus, the strains on the several parts are reduced. In addition, the cushioning ring 4| gives a resilient action between the jaws and anvil when the lower end 35 of the sleeve 28 contacts with the shoulder 36 on the sleeve 24, which renders the spring 30 ineffective for the purpose of cushioning.

In Fig. 7 there is shown a modification of the cushioning means in Fig. 6 and a modification of the spring retainedmovable sleeves extending about the stem of the anvil.

The cushioning device is intermediate the shoulder 34 of the casing l0 and the upper end of the sleeve 28, and comprises a pair of annular members 40 telescoped about the stem of the anvil and held' in place by nuts 38, and annular resilient members or gaskets 4| seated in opposed grooves 42 of the members 40. The combined thickness of the resilient members is greater than the combined depth of the grooves so that the resilient members can be compressed. The amount of compression is determined by the distance the annular members 40 are'held apart by the gaskets and preferably is sufficient to permit the resilient members to absorb shocks caused by stopping upward movement of the anvil jar and jar supporting table.

The anvil sleeve 28 is urged away from the anvil collar 24 by a series of springs 45 seated in circumferentially spaced downwardly facing apertures or bores 46 in the sleeve. By spacing the springs, the resistance to relative movement between the anvil and jaws is distributed substantially uniformly about the circumference of the sleeve. While the location of springs differs from the location in the preferred embodiment, their purpose and action are substantially the same.

The cushioning devices (Figs. 6 and 7) are particularly desirable where the jaws are utilized to fold the lower edge of the skirt of a cap or band member under a ledge or shoulder on a container as illustrated in Fig. 7. Since the jaws fold the metal of the cap against a frangible glass ledge, it is essential that they do not strike the metal with too much force or too suddenly. The cushioning device is adapted to stop the upward movement of the anvil sleeve without material shock and to supplement the action of the springs 30 or 45 particularly at substantially the completion of the seal as described hereinbei'ore.

In the operation of the preferred embodiment (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4) a container having a cap sealed loosely thereon is placed on the table 2 (Fig 1). The table is raised by the cam 4 so that the cap is engaged by the anvil I! (Fig. 2). The spring 5, associated with the table raising rod 3 and sleeve 6, is now compressed to prevent further upward movement of the table. This spring is more yieldable or weaker than the spring 30 which holds the anvil down so that the anvil I! will not move upwardly due to upward pressure of the container against the anvil. When the cap has moved into engagement with the anvil and upward movement of the table has stopped, the chuck operating rods l3 are raised and cause the cam portions 2| of the jaws to engage the jaw closing ring 22 to move the jaws inwardly (Fig. 3).

During the upward and inward movement of the jaws, the anvil is moved with the jaws as a unit by the connecting collar 24, sleeve 28 and spring 30. By moving the anvil upwardly, the spring 5 urges the table and container upwardly to follow the anvil and to keep the cap in engagement with the anvil whereby the cap, container, jaws and anvil move upwardly as a unit. In this manner, there is no relative vertical movement between the jaws and the cap or container during inward movement of the jaw and the projecting portions 20 of the jaws can be inserted between the ledge L and the bead C with minimum clearance without interfering with either the cap or the container. When the rods l3 have moved the jaws and anvil upwardly so that the anvil sleeve contacts the stationary shoulder 34 of the casing, upward movement of the anvil ceases and the jaws are moved upwardly with respect to the anvil by the rods I3 to engage and compress the bead (Fig. 4) or to fold the lower edge of the skirt of the cap under a ledge (Fig. 7). Thereafter, the rods l3 are low ered and the jaws are moved downwardly past the closing ring and then outwardly by the springs IS. The table is then lowered by the cam 4 and the sealed package may be removed from the table.

The operation of the modified disclosures illustrated by Figs. 6 and l is similar to the operation of the preferred embodiment, and will be readily understood from the above description. In the modified disclosures, the cushioning means M (Fi 6) or 4| (Fig. '7) serve to minimize undue strains on the container when relative movement of the sleeve 28 and shoulder 34 is stopped in addition to cushioning the stopping of the upward movement of the anvil, container and supporting table.

It will be seen that the present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for reforming closure caps and sealing them to containers. The sealing tools are adapted to be attached to existing machines without complicated or expensive changes. The sealing tools are adapted to be accurately positioned beneath the cap or in a relatively small space between the cap and the pry-ofi ledge on the container and are adapted to be moved upwardly to seal the cap without interfering with the cap or the pry-oi! ledge on the container. A further feature is that the tools do not subject the containers to shocks which may cause breakage thereof and are, 'therefore, adapted to fold the skirt of the cap into direct contact with a ledge on the container. The replacement of sealing chucks for different sizes of caps is simplified and the time required greatly reduced. The sealing tools are rugged in construction and can readily withstand any rough usage to which they may be subjected.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of an anvil, a plurality of jaws operatively connected to said anvil, means for moving said jaws and anvil as a unit during a part of the sealing operation, and means for stopping movement of said anvil while said moving means continues to move said jaws.

-2. In a device of the class described, the combination of an anvil, a plurality of collapsible jaws connected to said anvil, means for moving said jaws and anvil upwardly as a unit, and stationary means for stopping movement of said anvil while said moving means cause said jaws to move upwardly with respect to said anvil.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of an anvil, a plurality of jaws, means including a spring for slidably connecting said jaws to said anvil, means for moving said. jaws and anvil as a unit, and means for stopping movement of said anvil while said moving means cause said jaws to move with respect to said anvil in opposition to said spring.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of an anvil, a plurality of collapsible jaws operatively connected to said anvil, means for moving said anvil and jaws upwardly as a unit, means for moving said jaws inwardly to engage a cap on a container, and means for stopping movement of said anvil while said moving means cause said chuck to move upwardly with respect to said anvil to seal the cap on the container.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of an anvil, a plurality of jaws, means including a spring for slidably connecting said jaws and anvil, means for moving said jaws and anvil as a unit, stationary means for stopping the movement of said anvil while said moving means cause said jaws to move with respect to said anvil in opposition to said spring.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of an anvil, a plurality of jaws, means operatively connecting said jaws and anvil, means for moving said jaws and anvil upwardly as a unit, a stationary shoulder for stopping the upward movement of said anvil, and a sleeve adapted to engage said shoulder, said sleeve being threaded to said anvil for adjusting the distance said jaws move upwardly with respect to said anvil.

7. In a closure sealing device, the combination of an anvil, collapsible jaws, means including a spring for slidably connecting said jaws and anvil, means for moving said jaws and anvil upwardly as a.unit, means for moving said jaws inwardly while said anvil moves upwardly, means for stopping the upward movement of said anvil while said jaws continue to'move upwardly in opposition to said spring, and means for adjusting the distance said jaws move upwardly with respect to said anvil to determine the tightness of the seal.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a plurality of pivotally mounted jaws having portions adapted to extend beneath the skirt of a cap on a container, means for moving said jaws and the cap and container as a unit in a vertical direction, means positioned for moving said jaws inwardly to cause said jaw portions to extend beneath the, skirt of the cap while moving the cap and the container and said jaws in a vertical direction as a unit, and means for effecting relative vertical movement between said jaws and the cap to cause said jaws to reform the skirt of the cap.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination of a member for holding a cap downwardly on a container, a plurality of jaws for reforming the skirt of the cap, means for moving said member and jaws and the cap and container upwardly as a unit, means for moving said jaws beneath the skirt of the cap while said member and jaws move as a unit, and means for causing and means on said stem for preventing accidental removal of said anvil from said second sleeve.

11. A unitary jaw and anvil sealing chuck comprising in combination, a supporting ring, J'aw members mounted on said ring, a sleeve attached to said ring, a second sleeve slidably connected to said first sleeve, an anvil having a stem extending into said second sleeve, and a spring member cooperating with said sleeves to normally urge said anvil away from said jaws, the stem of said anvil being threaded into said second sleeve and secured against accidental removal therefrom, said anvil being adapted to be rotated to adjust the distance said sleeves can be moved with respect to each other in opposition to said spring member.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination of an anvil, a plurality of jaws slidably connected to said anvil, means for moving said jaws and anvil as a unit, a shoulder for stopping movement of said anvil while said moving means cause said jaws to move with respect to said anvil, and resilient means intermediate said anvil and shoulder.

13. In a device of the class described, the combination of an anvil, collapsible jaws slidably connected to said anvil, means for moving said jaws and anvil upwardly as a unit, a stationary shoulder above said anvil for stopping upward movement of said anvil while said moving means cause said Jaws to move upwardly with respect to said anvil, and a resilient member carried by said anvil adapted to engage said shoulder.

v 14. A unitary jaw and anvil sealing chuck comprising in combination, a supporting ring, jaw

members mounted on said ring, a sleeve attached to said ring, a second sleeve slidably connected to said first sleeve, an anvil having a stem extending into said second sleeve, a spring member cooperating with said sleeve to normally urge said anvil away from said jaws, the stem of said anvil being threaded into said second sleeve, and cooperating means on said second sleeve and the stem of said anvil for preventing accidental rotation of said anvil with respect to said second sleeve.

15. The method of sealing closure caps to containers which method comprises holding a cap downwardly on a container, moving the cap and container upwardly as a unit, placing a sealing tool beneath the skirt of the cap in position to engage the lower part of the skirt of the cap while said cap and container are moved upwardly, stopping the upward movement of the cap and the container, and reforming the skirt of the cap by 'moving the sealing tool upwardly with respect to the container;

16. The method of sealing closure caps, having a gasket in a bead in the skirt thereof, to containers, which method comprises holding a cap downwardly on a container, moving the cap and container upwardly as a unit, placing a sealing tool under and adjacent the bead of the cap while said cap and container are moved upwardly, stopping the upward movement of the cap and container, and compressing the bead to force the gasket therein against the container by moving the sealing tool upwardly with respect to the container.

ABRAHAM PODEL. 

